The Fangirl Consultant
by KkGgINoU
Summary: This is an advice column, with questions from you, the fans, to the Fangirl Consultant. May be switching to miscellaneous... IN NEED OF TOPICS.
1. Been Loki'd

A brand new fanfiction...huzzah!

Written from a friend's prompt.

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 _De_ _ar Fangirl Consultant,_

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!_

 _One word: Loki'd_

 _-Hyperventilating Fangirl_

...

Dear Hyperventilating Fangirl,

I most certainly understand your predicament. Many of us find ourselves either intentionally or unintentionally " **Loki'd!** " when dealing with Thor and the Avengers, or Tom Hiddleston in general. (See Fig. 1) Life Ruiner)

You are most likely either at the end of the Denial stage of fangirling, or have ended the Denial stage and are caught in the limbo between the Denial stage, and the Anger stage (See Fig. 2) _The Five Stages of Fangirling_ from OnlyLeigh).

Keep calm during this time. Things will become more turbulent as you proceed through the stages of fangirling, but never fear. All will eventually return to a slightly different state of normal, and your fellow fangirls are always there to help.

\- The Fangirl Consultant

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So, this is one of those good old advice columns.

I need prompts! Submit a question to the Fangirl Consultant by leaving a review with a letter from a fan (hyperventilating, fictional, or otherwise).

The Fangirl Consultant will mostly focus on SHERLOCK and Avengers geared questions, but other fandoms (and most fandom-related subjects) are welcome.


	2. Stucky Bros

_Dear Fangirl Consultant,  
_

 _How do I cope with the fact that everything hurts when I think about Steve Rogers and Bucky? Thanks, btw._

 _\- Dead Inside_

...

Dear Dead Inside,

The truth is, there is no effective way to cope with it. Everything is SUPPOSED to hurt when you think about Steve Rogers and Bucky.

I mean- when you think about it, it really is a heartwarming story in itself. Two best friends, separated for years and finally reunited, only to find that their world is different, and believes that they are dangerous or obsolete.

It's a story of great friendship, loss, searching, and redemption. And it's something that we fangirls cannot help but "Awwww..." at.

The important thing to remember is that Bucky still has a story to tell, and so does Steve. If you remember back to Marvel's Avengers, you will recall that when Coulson was bumped off, the fans rallied around him and demanded his return, because he still had so much to offer- a story to tell. I firmly believe that the same holds true for Bucky Barnes.

If all else fails, the Stucky fans can always go the route that Loki's Army did, and petition for another movie.

\- The Fangirl Consultant


	3. THE TALK (about Fanfiction)

_Dear Fangirl Consultant,_

 _I need a huge fix for Khan and his family. He needs to have a son that is in one of the cryogenic pods. Dr. McCoy can find him in a hidden chamber. But this kid needs to be like his dad. Mother had to be dead...killed prior to boarding the Botany Bay. Section 31 gets wind of this kid, and wants to train him to work for Section 31. What do you think? Khan would find out about him when he's older (and more dangerous)...say around 22 years old. Think it would fly?_

 _\- Sassiebone_

...

Dear Sassiebone,

This is an important topic to address.

This is the topic of Fanfiction. See, we're the fans, and we write... Yes, fiction.

You see, we portray their universe as we see it, not as it necessarily is. We write what happened, or what never happened and should have, or what did happen but never should have (Quicksilver fans, you know what I'm talking about).

We are the fans, and in our fanfiction, we can take as many extraordinarily expansive liberties thereof as we see fit.

So, as far as I'm concerned, go for it. In the immortal words of Loki's Hiddleston, "Never stop fighting. Never stop dreaming... if you've got something to say, say it from the rooftops."

And I think that's good enough for most.

\- The Fangirl Consultant


	4. Banters or Fights

_Hello, Fangirl Consultant,_

 _So, I recently became obsessed with the coolsauceness Broadway musical Hamilton. Not that_ that _is the problem, but everyone around me is done with me. I have tried to resist, but I am simply non-stop. Should I continue with my hamiltonious endeavors, or should I give in to peer pressure?_

 _\- The-Confused-Fangirl-Yo_

...

Dear The-Confused-Fangirl-Yo,

This is a very deep, very serious issue, so this is going to be a long one.

I would like to ask you if this just a case of the Banters, or are you actually being ostracized?

If it's the former, then... I honestly can't say much. Banter matches are usually quite harmless, kind of like the " _GREAT BISCUIT WAR_ " you may have already encountered (fought in the forums between the US authors, and the UK authors- really, guys. Biscuits and cookies. Different sides of the same coin.). Banter matches should not, I repeat, SHOULD NOT be considered actual fighting. It's essentially playful and usually _affectionate_ harassment, and shouldn't be what this is about.

A banter gone bad is another story entirely- what happens when someone takes genuine offense at a banter scrap.

If you're fighting a banter-battle, then the entire argument is honestly rather pointless, and you don't need to read any further.

However, if you are actually being genuinely and viciously harassed by your acquaintances, then by all means, read on.

First off, a lot of the problem is identifying the underlying issue. For example, if your friends just rib you endlessly for just for liking a musical then... Yeah. There's a serious issue there.

There is always a reason for whatever is going on. If they just can't stand your taste in Broadway musicals, it shouldn't be affecting your relationships that much. If you talk about it endlessly, and they are tired of it, then... Maybe just try to avoid the subject when all of your non- _Hamilton_ acquaintances are around.

The big thing is conversation, and not being selfish. You can't know why they dislike you suddenly if you aren't able to talk to them. So talk to them. Get everyone's take on the situation before you make a call about the fandom.

...Not to mention the fact that fandoms come and go, stream and lull, and you may end up growing out of your Hamilton phase. I wouldn't recommend hastening that process, because every piece of material for a fandom is to be respected in its own warrant. You can't make yourself hate _Hamilton_ , because things really don't work out that way.

The main thing is: try to oblige everyone, while not neglecting yourself. You like Hamilton. They suddenly don't like you. There's always a legit reason for behavior like that. There will always be people who don't like a certain fandom, and we can't expect them so suddenly love it as much as we do. Nonetheless, that shouldn't affect the relationship itself, because at that point there are some major questions that need to be answered.

A final piece of advice- don't back yourself into a corner thinking that you have to lose your friends to keep Hamilton, or keep your friends by ditching Hamilton. Based on what you told me, that seems like a very black-and-white outlook on what seems to be a much larger situation. Conversation and openness broadens your perspective and your options.

So, talk to the people who are 'done with you', and get their take on what's really up. Above all, be OPEN to hearing what they have to say.

I hope this helps!

-The Fangirl Consultant


	5. AU, AR, AT

_Dear Fangirl Consultant:_

 _I recently received a long review on a story I've been working on for a while (an AU for Winnie the Pooh). It explained that what I was doing was not a true AU, and would never work within the Winnie the Pooh universe. I just intended to write some fun drabbles about what these characters would be like in some parallel universe. I'd like to settle this question once and for all: What constitutes an AU?_

 _Sincerely,  
_ _ErinMilne_

Dear ErinMilne,

Actually, when I did some digging, I found that there are subtle differences between Alternate Realities and Alternate Universes, despite the fact that the terms are often used interchangeably. It's very strange, and a little complicated, but I'll try to explain it in a way that I can actually understand it.

This information was taken from LiveJournal from _Traycer_ 's January 30, 2011 article,

 _FEATURE: Alternate Reality vs. Alternate Universe_

All in all, Both AUs and ARs are technically based on the same concept. The characters are living different lives than what we know to be true, based on our source materiel, or _canon_.

Alternate _Realities_ (can be used interchangeably with _Parallel_ Universe) is basically a character with a slightly altered existence, and how their lives change is based on how their decisions and situations are subtly different from what we know their canon to be. These characters are NOT the same, because each one is shaped by his or her own situation, which will inevitably be different from the original canon.

This tool is commonly found in Science Fiction, where the main character we know and love are suddenly chucked into a total other situation similar but also totally different from the one they belong in. _Star Trek: The Original Series_ episode _Mirror, Mirror_ comes immediately to mind, but there are numerous other examples.

Technically, some genderbender!fictions can be similar to this (a male main character is born instead of a female, or vice versa) as long as their storylines stick true to what otherwise did happen in the canon, but that's a very strong AR... most Alternate Realities are not so drastic.

Alternate _Universes_ , on the other hand, are taking our canon characters and basically super-imposing them onto totally different story materiel. For example: Vampire!fictions are examples of Alternate Universes, if the main characters are not, and would never have been, vampires. Or Highschool!fictions are also huge perpetrators.

An important thing to note: Dreaming fictions are not considered AUs, because they wake up at the end. It's as simple as that.

AUs tend to be in just about equal measure in with the ARs, but there is one final version that is not usually recognized, but still should be.

ATs, or Alternate _Timelines_ , are another type of fiction. That's basically taking all of the canon, and tweaking it ever-so-slightly so that the characters are living the same lives, it's just that there are some decisions made (or not made) that are different to the canon storyline.

Again, Star Trek is a big perpetrator of this. Any episode fearing for the safety of the 'space-time continuum' is pretty much just another excuse for us to make an AT. Plus, the new reboots that began in 2009 (also known as the Alternate Original Series) is basically just a huge piece of Alternate Timeline/Alternate Reality fanfiction that legitimately became canon.

My essential gatherings from this are basically summed up here: ATs and ARs bear the closest resemblance to the original canon, many times having similar, if not the same events.

AUs, on the other hand, in no way stick to canon other than plopping canons into a totally different situation... or Universe, as it were.

I hope this clears up a few things.

—The Fangirl Consultant


	6. When the Baddie is Hot

Surprise! I am actually Alive! I swear, it didn't show up on review, hence the year's delay. This literally took only a night ro write. I swear. But I'm still having tech issues, so yeah... Anyways, here we are!

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 _Dear Fangirl Consultant,_

 _What if you find yourself fangirling over the villains instead of the heroes? It's actually not a lot of fun to have this happen because unlike the hero, the villain sometimes doesn't have a set origin, has favorite events and memorable episodes retconned, and is generally not portrayed as a great guy (obviously), even though they take all of this trouble to portray him in the first place. It makes you wish they would come up with a redemption arc or something, but often the fandom refuses to do so, relegating your "hero" to one of the criminal masterminds the boring guy everyone is supposed to be rooting for has to fight. Besides ignoring it and writing off the comic creators as a bunch of morons, what should I do?_

 _-krb501  
_

* * *

Dear krb501,

I think I hear Khan, Loki, Moriarty, and Smaug all laughing in the distance.

Honestly, there are plenty of occasions where the villain is actually treated to a pretty nice set up, and I'm not just talking about Megamind here. Yes, there are the Malekiths out there (the villains who probably had 'wants to destroy the universe' as their sole descriptor during development), but you have to remember that for every twenty Iron Man Mandarins, there's a Spiderman:Homecoming Vulture waiting in the metaphorical wings.

You don't have to come up with a redemption arc to like a villain. You like him, and that's that. It somewhat plays off of the bad-boy trope, part of which I blame on _Paradise Lost_ (thanks, Milton), but a lot of time fans can find something to tug on heartstrings in a baddie. Sometimes it's because he has such great character development (Moriarty), sometimes it's because (no matter how much you don't like it) she's hot (Jeanine from Divergent) And sometimes it's both (Bucky Barnes). No shame in thinking that Sauron may or may not be something that you'd do. No shame at all.

And sometimes comic writers are morons. Sometimes they're lazy. Sometimes you've got to do it yourself. They don't call us fanficiton _authors_ for nothing.

But a few words of caution:

When creating the villain's backstory (because sometimes you gotta do that. Thanks, Stan. Thanks, Gene. Thanks, JJ. T_T ) avoid making it overly gushy. If he's (or she's) anywhere a half-decent villain, they'll already have some decent backstory, and some good characterization. Especially live-action. It's literally an actor's job to impersonate someone else. They probably have their own matching headcanon for the role, and they play it as such. You can read into that, and create a relatively accurate image of the picture that the actor (voice or otherwise) is trying to make. So keep it real. A good villain isn't an injured puppy that needs to be rescued. He or she is generally pretty dangerous as it is, and maybe there's a chance for redemption, but don't overhype the idea that they've been turned into what they are by factors beyond their control. That's a nasty trope and something to avoid if at all possible.

By all means, try for a redemption arc. But before you do that, try doing a character sketch- the thoughts and mindset of the villain- in a mini story. It doesn't have to be long, even. I know that my character sketches typically turn into some of my best stories, because the point is not to redeem the villain, necessarily, but to show character development: what decisions did he or she make for better or worse, and what circumstances governed those decisons? What helped make them into the 'person' they are today? KEEP AS CLOSE TO THE SOURCE MATERIEL AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. Once you do the character sketch, then you have a foundation to work off of. Because you've written something in the stylization of the character themselves and know waht to look for and expect from your pen, it's _now_ you can expand on that. Try a redemption arc. The character sketch is like a practice round, to help it get more believable. Now go nuts.

I hope this all goes well for you. :)

-The Fangirl Consultant


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